Potato grading and cleaning apparatus



April 14, 1936. J; RANNEY 2,937,26fi

POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1933 5Sheets-Shee'i Aprrfifi 14,, 2%36. J RANNEY' 2,9372

I POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1933 3Sheets-Sheet Aprifi 14, l fi, T RANNEY 2,@37,2$@

' POTATO GRADING AND CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1933 5Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIII IIIIIIIII -:::IIII

Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" 7 POTATO GRADING ANDCLEANING APPARATUS This invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in potato grading and cleaning apparatus.

- The primary object of the invention is to provide apparatus for thegrading and cleaning of potatoes wherein the potatoes are delivered to arotatable inclined screening and grading cylinder having brush elementstherein for cleaning dirt and other foreign matter from the potatoeswhen passing through the grading cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of theforegoing character wherein the potatoes are delivered to a pickingtable for manual sorting or the like and'for delivery to a 1 5"- barrelor like container normally supported in an inclined condition bytensioned devices for a gradual delivery of the potatoes from thepicking table into the barrel without injuring the same; the tensioneddevices being operated in the presence of increased weight in the barrelto change the position of the latter from an inclined to a perpendicularone for ready handling.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent asthe nature of the inven- 25, tion is better understood, the sameconsists in thenovel form, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings andclaimed.

In the drawings?- 30: Figure 1 is aside elevational view of the potatograding and cleaning apparatus constructed Figure 5 is a fragmentaryside elevational view- 45, of the tensioned devices for normally holdingthe barrel in an inclined position with respect'to the picking table;

, Figure'6 is a fragmentary side elevational view,:

similar to Figure 5 with the barrel lowered by the weightthereofagainst'the tension of the spring pressed devices into-perpendicularposition;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary elevational view,

partly broken away, of the grading cylinders and illustrating the brushcleaning element; and

55 Figure 8 is an end elevational view of the grading cylinder showingthe brush cleaning element eccentrically mounted therein to present thebrush head in proximity of a wall of the grading cylinder for contactwith the potatoes.

, Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the potatograding and cleaning apparatus comprises a main frame preferably ofrectangular form and including front and'rear legs l0 and II connectedby longitudinal head rails l2 and longitudinally extending cross bracebars I3 together with the transversely extending head rails l4 and I 5at the upper ends of the legs l0 and II and lower cross connecting bars[6 and H. The front legs IU of the main frame are of greater length thanthe rear legs ll to locate the transverse head rails l4 and !5 in aninclined plane with the cylindrical grader I8 rotatably mounted in aninclined position at the upper end of the main frame. I

The rotary grader I8 is formed of two end abutting sections l9 and20,each formed of a skeleton metal framework and a screen mesh, themetal framework of the rotary grader including circular outer endflanges 2| and 22 having rolling engagement with the bearing rollers 23and 24 on the cross bar Hi at the front end of the frame and bearingrollers 23a and 24a on the cross bar H5 at the rear end of the mainframe, the bearing rollers being mounted upon shafts 25 and 26journalled in bearing blocks 21. The section I 9 of the rotary grader l8has the screen mesh thereof of a size to permit the sifting of dust anddirt therethrough as well as nubbins or small waste potatoes while thescreen mesh of the section 20 is of a larger type permitting the gradingof potatoes. A pair of inclined chutes 28 and 29 are carried by the mainframe below the rotary grading cylinder l8, the inclined chute 28 beingassociated with the grader section IQ. for the collection and dischargeof dirt, nubbins and waste potatoes while the inclined chute 29is'disposed below the grader section 20 for the collection of potatoesgraded therethrough.

To efiect the removal of dirt and other foreign matter from the potatoesduring their travel through the rotary grader l8, there is provided arotary brush element within the rotary grader that includes a shaft 3!)journalled at its ends in the head rails l4 and IS, the shaft 30extending longitudinally through the rotary grader, being locatedeccentrically thereof and carrying intermediate its ends at the centralportion of the rotary grader, a disk 3| carrying spaced peripherally andtangentially extending spring arms 32, each provided with a brush head33 at its outer discharge into a barrel 46 or other container.

end as shown in Figures 3, 4, '7 and 8. The inner wall of the rotarygrader around the zone of the brush element is provided with a canvas orfelt lining 34 as shown in Figure 7 to prevent bruising or injuring thepotatoes when being engaged by the brush elements. The eccentricmounting of the shaft 39 positions the brush element for travel in apath in proximity of a side wall of the rotary grader for the moreeffective cleaning of the potatoes of dirt and other foreign matter.

Means for feeding the potatoes to be graded to the rotary gradingcylinder I8 include an inclined frame structure 35 having groundengaging feet 36 at its lower end with the upper end thereof supportedon the cross shaft 31 that is journalled at its ends as at 38 on thefront legs l0 adjacent their upper ends. The frame structure 35 carriesan endless conveyor including a belt 39 carrying cleats 40 to facilitatethe feeding of potatoes delivered thereon by means of the hopper 42mounted on the frame structure 35. The upper end of the conveyor 39communicates with the higher inlet end of the rotary grading cylinder |8for the delivery of potatoes thereto. The outlet end of the rotarygrading cylinder discharges the potatoes that escaped the openings inthe grader section 20 onto a picker table frame 43 that is supported atits outer end by ground legs 44 with the inner end thereof supported oncross bar I6 at the lower or rear end of the main frame. The table frameincloses an endless feed belt 45 for moving the potatoes toward theouter end of the picker table frame for A tensioned support for thebarrel 46 is arranged at the outer end of the picker table frame 43 andas shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6, the tensioned devices areoperative for holding the barrel in an inclined elevated positionrelative to: the discharge end of the table frame during thefilling ofthe barrel with potatoes to lessen the drop of potatoes into the barreland to prevent injury thereto. The tension devices include an L-shapedframe 41 having the foot'4'la upon which the barrel 46 is mounted. Theupper end of the frame 41 is pivotally mounted as at 48 upon the outerend of the bracket arm 49 that is fixed to the upper end of the tableleg 44 and the upper end of the frame 47 carries an angularly and upwardly directed arm 50 to which one end of a coil spring 5| is attachedas at 52 while the other end of the coil spring is attached as at 53 tothe lower end of the leg 44. L-shaped frame 41 is elevated as shown inFigure 5, the spring 5| is positioned at one side of the frame pivot 48to maintain the frame and barrel carried thereby so disposed, but whenthe barrel becomes weighted with potatoes, the same is gradually loweredagainst the tension of the spring 5| and the dash pot 54 interposedbetween the frame 4! and leg 44 until the spring 5| moves to the otherside of the frame pivot 48 as shown in Figure 6 and at which time theframe 41 and barrel carried thereby is maintained in its loweredposition. The upward movement of the frame and barrel by the spring 5|is limited by the chain connection 55 extending between the frame 4'!and bracket 56 carried by the leg 44.

The means for affecting rotation of the rotary grader l8, the brushshaft 3|! and the endless conveyors 39 and 45 includes an electric motora supported on a bracket 51 carried by the main frame with a pinion b onthe shaft of the motor that is engaged with the gear wheel a on theshaft When the 01, the operating means being shown more clearly in Figs.1 to 4. The sprocket wheel e for the shaft (1 has a chain connection 1with a sprocket wheel g upon one end of the shaft 31 for the operationof the endless conveyor 39. The shaft 3'! carries a sprocket wheel hthat has a chain connection i with a sprocket wheel 7' upon the shaft isjournalled in the bearing on one of the legs I!) of the main frame. Abevel gear m carried by the shaft 7c meshes with the bevel gear n on theshaft 0 journalled in the bracket 58 rising from a cross frame memberIT. The sprocket wheel p carried by the shaft 0- has a chain connectionq with the sprocket wheel 1' on one end of the shaft 25 to effectrotation of the bearing rollers 23 and 23a for the rotary grader. Asprocket wheel s is carried by the opposite end of the shaft 25 adjacentthe bearing roller 23a and has a chain connection It with the sprocketwheel u upon the shaft 30 for the operation of the rotary brush elementwithin the'rotary grader. The shaft d driven'by the motor a carries asprocket wheel 1) that has a chain connection w with the sprocket wheel:c upon the shaft y that carries a second sprocket wheel a that has achain connection a with a sprocket wheel a upon the shaft 59 thatsupports one end of the picker table conveyor 45.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believedthat the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, itbeing noted that the motor a operates the endless conveyors 39 and 45;the rotary grader I8 and the brush element within-the grader. Potatoeswithin the hopper 42 are carried by the conveyor 39 upwardly into theelevated endof the grading cylinder l8, nubbins, waste potatoes and dirtsifting through the section IQ of the grader for collection upon anddischarge from the inclined catch trough or pan 28. Rotation of thegrader I8 causes relative movement'of the potatoes passing therethroughfor the proper grading thereof while the rotary brush element working inan area comprising the fabric lining 34 of the grader accomplishes theremoval of dirt from the potatoes without injury thereto, the initialgrading of small potatoes being accomplished in the grader section 20for delivery upon and discharge from the inclined chute section 29. Thetensioned L-shaped frame is elevated to the position shown in Figure 5with the barrel 46 supported thereon at the beginning of the gradingoperation so that potatoes delivered from the lower end of the gradingcylinder and received upon the endless conveyor 45 of the picker table43 will gradually descend without injury intothe collection barrel 46.When the barrel receives a sufficient quantity of potatoes to overcomethe tension of the spring 5|, the barrel is lowered gradually againstthe action of the dash pot 54.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changesmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a potato grading and cleaningapparatus, an inclined rotary screengrader, an endless conveyor for feeding potatoes to the elevated end ofthe grader, potato brushing means within the grader, the rotary screengrader including screening and grading areas of different mesh, a fabriclining for a portion of the grader with the brushing means locatedwithin the area of the lined portion of the grader.

2. In a potato grading and cleaning apparatus, an inclined rotary screengrader, an endless conveyor for feeding potatoes to the elevated end ofthe grader, potato brushing means within the grader, the rotary screengrader including screening and grading areas of different mesh, a fabriclining for a portion of the grader with the sioned arms carrying brushesat their outer ends 5 projecting peripherally from the block.

JOHN T. RANNEY.

